Have you ever made a meal plan for the week with great intentions, but then something happens to get you off track, and you resort to take-out instead? (Which then messes up the next day, and then food spoils and there’s $20 in the trash can).

That used to be me, on a regular basis. I was so determined to make everything from scratch, assuming it was cheaper, that when reality caught up to me, I realized that I was WASTING more than I was saving.

Talk about a low-point for a mom and coach whose life mission revolves around saving money!

I had to learn it was okay not to be superwoman. I couldn’t spend an hour cooking dinner every night AND stay on top of everything else! Scratch that: I couldn’t spend an hour cooking dinner every night and simply maintain sanity.

This is why God created the freezer aisle.

Once I got smart about WHICH convenience foods to buy and began scheduling leftovers nights into the meal plan, we started wasting less, stressing less, ENJOYING quality time at the dinner table, and were saving a lot more money.

I actually like cooking and still bake from scratch on occasion (especially when it’s something I can freeze and save for later) but in this season of life it’s all about getting something that’s reasonably healthy on the table quickly and inexpensively.

Since the grocery budget is the largest expense besides housing, and since preparing meals for a family is its own extracurricular activity, I thought I’d share with you some of my family’s favorite meals to eat that you can make for an average of $10 for a family of four.

The best part is not one of these dinners requires more than 10 minutes of your attention in the kitchen! (Seriously, I’ve timed it.)

And to take one more thing to do off your plate, I included a shopping list at the end of this post. For this week of dinners, my total bill at Kroger, plus a Costco rotisserie chicken, was $60.62, before coupons. The only liberty I took with the list was assuming you already have basic spices and oil (which you need very little of anyway).

This plan includes six dinners for the week; the reason I don’t plan seven dinners a week anymore is so that we can be intentional about making use of leftovers. This saves us a TON of money because we’re able to waste less. Not to mention, I get a “free night” of not having to cook when I’m tired at the end of a long day, yet we don’t have to resort to eating out.

Meal Plan Notes: You’ll have some ingredients remaining at the week’s end: 1 ½ pounds of frozen chicken, rice to last at least the next week or two, tortillas, and some sourdough bread (or whatever kind you like). One option is to double the recipe for shredded chicken tacos, freeze half, and use for tacos or quesadillas later in the month. Be warned, there is a salad on the menu, so if your kids hate all things green, they can have a grilled cheese.

Monday: Chinese Chicken Salad

Wash and dry lettuce, drain mandarin oranges, shred about 2/3 of the rotisserie chicken into the salad. Mix with dressing and wonton strips. (Optional: If I happen to have some bell pepper, green onions, or sliced almonds, I’ll use those up in the salad. Salads are great for using up scraps!)

Tuesday: Barbecue Chicken Quesadillas

Shred up the rest of the rotisserie chicken, and toss lightly with barbecue sauce. Dice half of a red onion and some cilantro, and grill quesadillas on a pan with just a drop of oil.

Wednesday: Slow Cooked London Broil with Mashed Potatoes and a Side Salad

Place the London broil in the slow cooker, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add some dried oregano if you’ve got any. Pour the two cans of cream of mushroom soup over the steak, and cook on low for 8 hours. Before serving, make some instant mashed potatoes and serve a side salad of lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. If you make enough salad for two nights, save half of it (without dressing) in a ziploc bag lined with a paper towel.

Thursday: Moroccan Chicken Thighs with Rice and a Side Salad

This one you can make either in the slow cooker OR pressure cooker. I use my beloved Instant Pot. Put the chicken thighs in the slow cooker (or pressure cooker). Add salt and pepper, then this Moroccan spice blend. You could even make a big batch of Moroccan spice mix to have on hand to make this recipe even faster. After you add the spices, rub them all over the chicken. Then add a can of diced tomatoes, a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas, a can of drained green olives, and a cup of chicken broth (I like to add water with a teaspoon of Better than Bouillon). Cook on low 6-8 hours or press the poultry button on your Instant Pot. Serve it up with rice and a side salad.

Friday: Leftovers

Scheduling leftovers night for the middle of the meal-planning week prevents food from spoiling before we have a chance to eat it. Yay for no-cook Fridays!

Saturday: Tuna on toast with tomato and avocado

I love not having a kitchen to clean up on the weekend. This no-cook recipe is PERFECT for a lazy Saturday. Mix the tuna with a little mayo and diced red onion (great with celery too, if you’ve got some), then pile it on sourdough toast, and top with sliced tomatoes and avocado. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Sunday: Shredded Chicken tacos and black beans

This is another one for the slow cooker OR pressure cooker! I accidentally discovered I PREFER the pressure cooker version because the sauce turns out thicker and more flavorful, and the texture of the chicken is perfect even when cooked from frozen. It’s magic.

Take about a 1 ½ pounds of frozen chicken breasts and put them in your Instant Pot (if you’re using the slow cooker it’s best to defrost overnight. My mom has this thing about not slow cooking frozen chicken because you risk food poisoning. I don’t know if that’s true or not. Just play it safe and only cook from frozen if you’re using the pressure cooker version). Okay, here is the big recipe. Ready? Pour in a packet of taco seasoning and 12 oz. of salsa. That’s IT! Cook on low for 6 hours or press the poultry button on your Instant Pot. When it’s done it’ll shred with a fork. Heat up some black beans, and top the tacos with lettuce, salsa, and shredded cheese.

I used to think that by the time I turned 30, I’d be financially set. I sort of glamorized the fourth decade of life like Jenna from the film 13 Going on 30. Like, I graduated from college EIGHT years ago. I’ve got legit work experience, and I need anti-aging skincare! I deserve nice things and an awesome vacation, right?

Eh, maybe-maybe not. Movie characters in their 30s live in Manhattan apartments WAY too big for their movie character jobs (have you ever noticed that?), drive expensive new cars, sit on designer sofas, and are professionally styled.

What don’t 30-something movie characters do? Debt-busting, 401K investing, emergency-fund building, sinking fund saving, and all that other stuff that doesn’t make a glamorous movie. But it does make you REAL rich, instead of fake rich.

So if you want to be rich in REAL LIFE and not pretend rich like a movie character, avoid these major money mistakes in your 30s.

Letting those college loans hang around like a bad roommate

Guys, I hate to say it, but college was over a decade ago. It’s time to get rid of the school loans, along with the ratty college t-shirts shoved in the back of your dresser. Minimum payments feel manageable, but debt isn’t something to “manage,” it’s something to annihilate. The interest you’re paying just isn’t worth it, and imagine what you could do with that extra cash if it weren’t going toward paying off debt! As retirement expert Chris Hogan says, “Interest you pay is a penalty. Interest you earn is a reward.”

Buying a house before building an emergency fund

Owning a home was THE DREAM for me. We did apartment living for a LONG time, and I was sooo sick of it. I get it! I want you to own a home, too. It’s tough being confined to cramped living quarters, especially if you have kids, and especially when it seems like all your friends are buying houses and decorating with the Pottery Barn catalog.

But most people jump into the housing market before building an emergency fund of three to six months of living expenses, and this is a huge mistake! I can’t tell you how many clients in their 40s and 50s come to me with debt disasters primarily because they didn’t have the money to make emergency repairs and replace broken appliances. The last thing you want is for your house to be a financial burden. I know renting for now feels like a waste, but buying a house without an ample emergency fund is asking for serious trouble.

Not investing in a Roth IRA

We all know we should take advantage of our employer’s 401K match, but you’re giving up a major tax break if you’re not investing in a Roth IRA. With a traditional IRA, you get to invest tax deferred money, which is awesome for the current tax year (since the amount you invest is deductible), but you have to pay income tax when you withdraw the money in retirement. With a Roth IRA, you invest after-tax money (so no tax deduction this year), but it’s nontaxable in retirement. Including all the interest that’s been accruing for the last 30-some years. YAY! Ideally, you want to invest 15% of your gross income. Start with the percentage that your employer matches, then contribute the $5,500 max to a Roth IRA. If you’re still not at 15%, top off the rest with your work’s 401K.

Increasing your lifestyle with every raise

Yeah, you’re 30 and flirty and thriving (we are friends if you know the reference), but that doesn’t necessarily mean you can afford to spend more every time you get a raise. If you’re debt-free, have a full emergency fund, and are contributing 15% to retirement, then it’s totally appropriate to save for a vacation, buy a nice piece of furniture (with cash), or increase your restaurant budget. Just don’t go crazy and forget to save for medium and long-term goals, like your next car and the kids’ college funds. If you’re in debt or haven’t been able to invest 15% for retirement, then use raises to ramp up hitting those goals first.

Financing Large Purchases

A “good deal” is NOT based on monthly payment. Seriously, this monthly payment nonsense is getting out of control. The average car loan is now SEVEN YEARS. But I digress… suffice it to say this is not the time to get in the habit of financing appliances, cars, lawn mowers, mattresses, or anything else, even if it’s 0% down for a billion years. It’s easier to establish good habits now like saving up and buying with cash than it will be to clean up a mess later. Don’t tie yourself down to monthly payments other than your regular bills. Don’t you have enough bills already?

Instead, create a sinking fund for upcoming purchases. Simply divide the amount you need to have saved by the number of months you plan to save, and set aside that amount each month in a savings account. This works for everything: cars, Christmas, vacations, furniture, anything that’s a bigger expense than you can work into the monthly budget. A little delayed gratification and planning goes a long way in saving you money and the stress that a litany of payments inevitably causes.

If you’ve already made some of the mistakes on this list, it’s not too late to turn things around! You have a long time to invest and today is the perfect day to start making progress on your financial goals. A little discipline and commitment to a debt-free lifestyle will set you up for success for the rest of your 30s and will pay off big time for all the decades ahead.

Jobs that allowed you to work from home and/or on your own schedule used to be few and far between, but not anymore! There are tons of part-time opportunities to make money, whether you’re a stay-at-home parent (a full-time job and beyond in itself, obviously), or already in the traditional workforce and need some extra cash.

Your time is valuable, and it’s important to make every hour count, especially we’re talking about dollars per hour. The good news is there are lots of options; the bad news is there are SO many, how do you know which ones are best? I’ve sorted through all kinds of money-making opportunities to bring you options that make top dollar with the most flexibility, and here are my picks.

Become a Virtual Assistant

Average salaries have a wide range depending on your skills, experience, and niche that you want to work in. With virtual assisting, you can either freelance and market yourself, or you can join a company that hires out virtual assistants. The best part of this job is the flexibility. You work totally from home and determine how many hours you want to work, and when! Amy Lyn Andrews has a helpful guide to getting started.

Be a paraeducator or teacher’s assistant at your child’s school.

This is an awesome option for moms of school-aged children in particular! You drop off your kids at school anyway, so why not work while they’re in class? I’m a little biased here because I have experience in this area: I was once a paraeducator for an ILC (special education) class at a middle school, and I can honestly say it was one of my FAVORITE jobs to date. The pay is approximately $13 an hour (this will vary by state) and when your kids are done with school, you’re done with work. Pretty sweet deal!

Offer In-Home Daycare

My sister-in-law, Sarah, does this so that she can stay at home with her kids AND get paid at the same time. It’s really a win-win if you love kids and feel passionately about being at home full-time with your children. Sarah has been doing this for seven years, and while it’s the right choice for her family, it’s also important to consider potential challenges when it comes to working with another parent’s expectations and discipline system, so make sure the family is a good fit before you agree to take on caring for another person’s child. Also, be sure to look into state-specific requirements for daycare licensing and regulations, as those will vary.

Tutor or Teach Lessons

If you have a college degree in an academic subject like history, English, or math, then you have a $40 per-hour gig calling your name! But the possibilities don’t end there. If you’re bilingual, why not offer private language lessons? If you play an instrument, you can offer individual lessons or even small group beginner lessons in your home. Are you a DIY guru? Consider hosting garage workshops teaching others how to restore old furniture. You may not feel like you have a “special” skill, but I can almost guarantee there is something YOU know how to do that others will pay you to teach them! You set the schedule, market your services to your community, get a couple of personal references, and you can develop a reputation for your expertise—along with a stream of income—within a few months.

Make money from your craftiness

Guys, creativity and craftiness are LEGIT talents. Don’t limit your crafty wizardry to personal projects! I know because I lack such abilities and would gladly pay someone to put together a beautiful scrapbook or crochet a blanket. (I’ve learned the hard way that by the time I figure out how to do something like that, the amount I spend on ruined materials is more than paying a pro. Sometimes you just have to realize your shortcomings and move on, ya know?) Etsy and craft fairs are just a couple of places you can sell handmade products. Everyone loves locally made products, so take every opportunity to showcase your work around town, and your creations will soon create a buzz.

Join an MLM… with caution

I hesitated to include this one, but I gotta say, I’m friends with some pretty sharp ladies who are successful and HAPPY with their MLM company! To be successful with an MLM, you need to be absolutely OBSESSED with the product. When they say “the product sells itself” it’s because you are truly sharing something you love. But you also have to be SMART about this and not give in to the company’s pressure to buy tons of inventory. Don’t do it, guys! NEVER go into debt for inventory (or anything else). A big inventory purchase is not an “investment.” Let the company store their own inventory until your profits are high enough to invest a little back into the biz.

The most successful stories I know of are MASTERFUL at social media marketing and networking, and they are neither shy about how much they love the product nor are they pushy and desperate. If you’re going to do this, promise me that you’ll know EVERY detail of your agreement with the company, that you will thoroughly research the company and their standing with the BBB (some are awesome; some are scams), and that you won’t make desperate pleas to family and friends to buy so that you can maintain a minimum selling requirement. You’re going to have to HUSTLE and put yourself out there to sell. If that STILL sounds like fun, then an MLM might be right for you!

Making money on the side doesn’t have to consume all your time or cause you to sacrifice your family dynamic. It may require some creativity and hustle, but when you’re able to live out your priorities AND earn a paycheck, the effort will be worth it.

Are you earning money from a part-time or side job? Comment and share your ideas!

So you’re in the market for a car, and you need a reliable one. The only problem is your budget is tiny. I totally get it. I have young children and they are NOT getting into a worn-out beater with the doors falling off.

That said, if I may be so frank, I hear a lot of excuses as a coach from people who buy unaffordable stuff, and I gotta say, the need for a reliable car is the most common and LAMEST excuse for keeping or buying a pricey set of wheels.

Sure it takes extra effort and you need to know what to look for, but cheap, reliable, used cars are plentiful. It’s like anything else you’d buy second-hand. People get tired of what they’ve got and sell perfectly good washer/dryer sets, dining tables, and all other kinds of furniture and appliances simply because they’re bored and want to upgrade.

Be one of those people that takes advantage of this, especially when it comes to cars. Whether you’re getting out of debt or you just don’t have a lot saved and need wheels ASAP, here’s how to get a reliable car for $3000 or less.

Buy from a private party, never from a dealership.

A car salesman has one job: to get you to buy a car, whether it’s a good deal for you or not. I’m not knocking on salespeople, just saying that you’re on a mission and can’t afford to be smooth-talked into buying (or worse, leasing) a car that doesn’t meet your price-point. Not to mention, the SAME car will be more expensive at a dealerships than from a private seller. This is mostly from overhead expenses they need to cover and extra fees attached to the car’s base price.

You don’t have to bother with any of that with a private seller, who is going to give you a much better deal. They usually have a reason to get rid of the car (moving or upgrading their car, for example), and don’t want to take a long time to sell, so they’ll be more willing to negotiate. To get a great deal without hassle, be aware of the Kelly Blue Book value and make a fair offer.

Use autotrader.com to filter your search.

I have to confess, my husband and I disagree on this point. And that’s okay. In my personal experience, I’ve gotten higher quality results from searching for used cars on autotrader.com than on Craigslist. My perception is that only serious sellers post to Autotrader… Craigslist is kind of a catch-all. Again, this is a matter of personal experience and preference, and if you stumble on the right car somewhere else, that’s fine too. You do want to be strategic, though, about setting your search parameters; a quick five-minute search of your zip code and criteria can show you what’s in your neighborhood and what you can expect to get for the money.

Be diligent about comparing cars and don’t desperately make an offer on the first car you find. Another thing to avoid: buying from a friend or family member as a favor to them. It can seem convenient: they need to sell a car, you need to buy a car, problem solved. It’s really important to stick to your budget here and only move forward IF the car and the price point meet your needs.

Oh, and for safety, always meet a seller in a public location like a sheriff’s station parking lot (our county sheriff actually ENCOURAGES residents to use their parking lot for buying and selling from sites like Craigslist).

Look for ugly, older vehicles…

The uglier, the better. Hail damage? Score! Green-brown with pink polka-dots? We’ll take it! You definitely want a car that’s been well-maintained (and has maintenance records to prove it); ugly paint and normal cosmetic damage lowers the price even if the functionality is superior. The one and only purpose of this car is to get you from point A to point B safely. Top-notch stereos, leather seats, and custom paint are NOT priorities.

Remember this mantra: the uglier, the cheaper, the better.

Don’t discount older vehicles, either. There are plenty of 10 to 15-year-old cars in top running condition, and newer doesn’t necessarily mean a car is more reliable. It’s helpful to research the make and model by year on sites like Edmunds.com to see if that car tends to have any major issues with the transmission or motor. If you see any glaring red flags, try excluding that one from your search.

One of our favorite cars was a 1998 Honda Civic, which was 12 years old when we bought it (its name was Marvin). That thing had hail damage, bits of rust on the hood, broken speakers, and a boring gray cloth interior, but it was faithful and drove beautifully. We bought it for $2500. And we loved it.

…With lower mileage

Even though older cars will help lower the price, a real gem will have low mileage for its age. Although this is a solid guideline, context is everything, which is another reason why it’s important to be familiar with the reputation of the car’s make and model. For instance, I’m more comfortable buying a Honda with 180,000 miles on it than a lower-mileage car that made Edmund’s Worst Car List.

But generally speaking, an older car with fewer miles will be more reliable than a not-as-old car with more miles. The bottom line is it’s worth searching with these guidelines in mind, and taking the time to learn about the car before you buy it.

Make sure it’s mechanically sound

The car will ideally have a clean title, meaning it’s accident-free. Even if the car has been fixed, you never really know how an accident will affect a car’s longevity. I once purchased a car that had been damaged in a hurricane, but I didn’t bother to look into it until later, and the car died unexpectedly after only three years of owning it. Learn from my mistake: pay for a title check.

After you check out the car and test-drive it, take it to an independent mechanic (not the seller’s mechanic). You’ll shell out around $60, but that’s okay because this is crucial insurance to have. A basic inspection might save you from buying a lemon, and he (or she) can tell you if it’s due for any maintenance.

If that all checks out, then congratulations! You are the proud owner of a hidden gem of a vehicle.

This isn’t going to be your dream car. It’s your so-I-can-achieve-my-dreams car. It’s going to be a scratched up, dull, nothing-special piece of metal that gets you to safely from home to your destination and back. But it will be reliable AND cheap. Who says you can’t have both?

If you’re dealing with collectors, there’s been a game-changing Supreme Court ruling that you need to know about. This is BIG.

I’ll break it down so you don’t have to sift through legal-ese. Short and sweet, I promise.

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) gives consumers specific legal protection from harassment and abuse from debt collectors. If you have collectors calling you, it’s important to know your rights and take a proactive stance. But more on that in another post.

When you owe a company like Mastercard and don’t pay for awhile, it goes into default, and then gets sent to collections. Sometimes Mastercard (or whatever company you owe) will hire a third-party company to collect the debt on Mastercard’s behalf.

Another thing that can happen is Mastercard can SELL your debt (weird, huh) to another company. All these companies do is buy old debts for a reduced price in hopes that they’ll be able to collect more than the amount they purchased (there’s a little more to it but that’s the gist of it).

So if you owed Mastercard $10,000 and defaulted, Mastercard might sell the debt to another company for $7,000. Mastercard is happy because they’ve at least recovered $7,000 and don’t have to spend any more effort to collect the remaining $3,000.

The debt purchaser is happy because they think they can collect the $10,000, or at least more than the $7,000 they bought it for, and still make a profit. (See why they get nasty? They HAVE to collect on old debts to stay in business.)

So we’ve got two different kinds of debt collectors from a legal standpoint: the third-party that’s collecting FOR another company and companies that OWN the debt, whether they are the original owners or purchasers.

You follow me? This is a key distinction in the Supreme Court ruling.

The Supreme Court decided the other day that FDCPA plainly applies ONLY to third-party debt collectors who are collecting debt FOR someone else.

This means if your old debt gets sold to another company, FDCPA does not apply to them, which gives you less legal protection against scummy tactics to collect debt.

In fairness to the Court, this was an easy one for them: the decision was unanimous. If you’ve followed SCOTUS at all in the last few years, it’s amazing that they can unanimously agree on ANYTHING anymore. But I digress…

The Court’s opinion explains that the law’s language made it very clear that Congress only intended the law to apply to third-parties who are collecting on behalf of another company.

In other words, says the Court, blame Congress if you don’t think the law goes far enough to protect the consumer. The law itself is Constitutional, so it’s not our job to rewrite it to your liking.

But take heart, my friends, because this does NOT mean you have zero rights if you’re facing debt collection. Harassment and slander laws still apply to these companies (I’m not a lawyer so don’t consider this legal advice, it just follows that no one is exempt from existing laws), and my tips for dealing with collectors remain the same.

If you’re dealing with debt collectors, it can be incredibly overwhelming and scary, and the fear can hold you back from dealing with it head-on. The good news is that there IS a way to get through it. The first step is to know your rights. I’ll keep you updated.

If you’re dealing with collectors, you’re likely under a lot of stress. You’re constantly pressured to pay an insurmountable mountain of debt and reminders come in daily phone calls and letters. If only you could get these collectors off your back and get some breathing room.

Good news: you can.

I want to encourage you to make a plan to pay what you owe, but also hear this loud and clear: having old debt does not make you a bad person or a failure. The collections agencies want you to feel that way so that you make emotional decisions to pay them, even if you truly can’t afford it.

Don’t give in to the manipulation and the fear. It’s time to face this head-on so that the debt can be part of your past and you can move forward with your life.

Here are four tips for dealing with debt collectors so that you can deal with it and move on.

Know Your Rights

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) helps protect consumers from unfair collection practices and abusive tactics. However, this doesn’t mean collection agencies always abide by the law! They know that most people aren’t familiar with the laws and that they’re under a lot of stress. The unfortunate thing is that harassing tactics tend to work, so if it helps them get money, the collectors will continue to use them.

BUT, you can do something about this. Let them know that you know your rights. If you tell them they cannot call you at work, for instance, then they are legally obligated to STOP calling you at work. They are also not allowed to call you on any number before 8:00 am and after 9:00 pm.

They cannot pretend to be an attorney or government agent; they must be transparent about the fact that they’re a debt collector.

They cannot use profane language, they can’t threaten you with physical harm, and they can’t claim you’ll be arrested (you won’t be) for not paying them.

I know this all sounds crazy, but money can make people say crazy things! (Or maybe it doesn’t sound crazy because you’ve been on the receiving end of some of these tactics!)

They might be able to garnish wages, but ONLY if they sue you and the court allows wage garnishment. So if you receive threats of having your wages garnished, know that there’s a process they have to follow and they cannot simply decide one day to access your bank account.

When you receive a call, letter, or voicemail, think of the agency as a yippy little dog on a leash. They’re tied down by rules and can’t force you to give them money simply because they demand it.

Beat Them at Their Own Game

Knowing your rights will help you set boundaries. Next, it’s time to beat them at their own game.

Talk to the agent calling you. You may want to write a script of what you plan to say and practice it to build your confidence before you talk to them.

Let them know that you want to pay your debt, but that you have to keep the lights on and keep everyone fed FIRST. Tell them that YOU will be calling THEM once per week at 9:00 am every Wednesday to provide a quick status update.

At this status update, inform them of how much money you will be able to send. This should not be dictated by the payment amount they claim you owe. Be sincere and honest without going into detail about your life. Simply tell them that a check for x amount is on its way (only if this is true). And send it certified mail.

It’s very possible that after a few weeks, the annoying calls will stop. Communicate with them on YOUR terms, and you will gain control.

Know What You Can Afford to Pay

How much can you afford to pay? It might not be the full payment amount. But in order to know, you need to write out a budget. Take care of YOUR basic needs first: food, utilities, rent, and transportation (in that order).

After that, pay what you can. If you can make all the minimum payments on debts, that’s great. If you can work the debt snowball and make extra payments following the Seven Baby Steps, even better.

If you find there simply isn’t enough money to cover your basic needs AND make minimum debt payments, then I want you to make a Pro Rata Payment Plan.

First look at the total amount of income left over after you fund your (very basic) living expenses. Say it’s $500, and you have $1000 in minimum payments to make.

What you’re going to do is pay a proportional percentage of the debt. Here’s how to calculate: If the largest minimum payment is $200, that’s 20% of the $1000 in minimum payments. Calculate 20% of $500 ($500 x .2 = $100).

That debt will receive $100. Do the same for the remaining payments. This will give you some breathing room while you find ways to increase your income and get the debt paid off.

Never Give them the Upper Hand

While you’re working this plan, it’s essential to document everything: when you called, to whom you spoke, the bullet points of the conversation, any mail you send or receive, every message from the agency, ALL of it. Keep a simple log in order of date and highlight payments that you send.

I know it’s a pain, but it’s a lot better than spending time being stressed out without taking the necessary steps to resolve it. That way, if you’re accused of not sending a payment, or if you discover FDCPA violations, everything is documented.

Also, remain calm under all circumstances. You may have to get assertive, but arm yourself with a plan and a script, or at least a bullet point list of your talking points.

If you tell the collector your plan and they come back at you with a “that’s not good enough” response, calmly inform them they can take what you can pay or they can get nothing, and that you’ll call again next week. End of discussion.

The thing is, they’ll be so stunned to talk to someone who is calm, assertive, and has a plan, that they’ll probably shut up.

You don’t need to yell, and you don’t need to cower. But you MUST follow through on your word.

In your documentation, write down what you say you’re going to do and put your action steps on a calendar so that you remember to do them.

Finally, never give access to your bank account and don’t be intimidated into giving collectors any of your personal information. Instead, mail a check (along with any letter you send) the old-fashioned way, and send it via certified mail so that you KNOW they got it.

Dealing with collectors is frustrating and stressful. It can feel like a predicament you’ll never get through, but you can as long as you’re willing to face the problem head-on and work to get out of debt. Know your rights, communicate regularly, calculate how much you can afford to pay, and carefully document everything. It’s time to face the collectors with confidence and a plan.

Buying a house is the biggest purchase you’ll make in your life, and once the papers are signed, you can’t return it, so it’s important to get this one right. The problem is, there’s so much pressure to buy a house as soon as possible that it’s easy to rationalize why you need to buy one rightnow!

From hearing comments about “wasting” money on rent, to seeing your friends buy THEIR own houses, to speculation about rising home prices, it’s perfectly understandable to want to lock yourself into an affordable mortgage at a low interest rate and get started on all those Pinterest home decorating projects you’ve been daydreaming about.

I understand the longing to be a homeowner. After living the apartment life for over a decade while my friends hosted dinners in their recently purchased homes, I was beyond ready to buy! But more importantly, I knew we were financially ready. And I’m grateful we waited for the right time to buy for OUR family, not our friends’ and neighbors.

See, buying a house involves a lot more than a mortgage payment. There are SO many costs to consider, not to mention lifestyle changes that come with being a homeowner. These aren’t necessarily good or bad things, they’re just realities, and you want to know EXACTLY what you’re getting into before signing the closing documents.

If you’re thinking that you might be ready to buy a house now or even a few years from now, here’s what you need to do to prepare.

First, pay off all your debt. This includes student loans, credit cards, personal loans, even car payments. PS, did you know that if you close your credit card accounts and all debts are paid off, you can have a credit score of zero?

But wait, you can’t get a mortgage without a credit score, can you? Actually, yes, you can! Lenders can underwrite your loan application manually. All you need to prove is a history of paying your rent and other bills on time.

All that aside, if you pay off your debts yet keep some accounts open, you’re bound to have an excellent credit score, so don’t go increasing your credit limit to prepare for a mortgage! Just stick with your debt-free status and you’ll be fine.

After you’re completely debt-free, save three to six months of living expenses for emergencies. This is your full emergency fund, and it is of the utmost importance to have. I know it seems like a lot of money, but houses require a lot of maintenance and emergency repairs WILL happen. You never know if your heater will quit in the middle of winter, or if your basement will flood, or when fence posts will need fixing, or a sprinkler will bust, or a window will break, or… okay, you get the idea! When you own, you’re responsible for fixing EVERYTHING!

If you’ve got thousands of dollars stashed away for these things before you move in to your new home, repairs will be a minor inconvenience instead of a recipe for financial disaster. I want you to LOVE your home, and that will only happen if you have the money to take care of it.

Once you have your full emergency fund of three to six months’ expenses in place, you’re ready to save for a down payment. To be totally candid, there are different points of view on how much to put down, and they all have some merit. My recommendation: aim to put down 20% to avoid paying private mortgage insurance (PMI). PMI can easily be $100 a month or more, and you have better things to do with your money.

This brings up another question: 20% of what? How much house can you afford? This is another topic that financial experts tend to disagree on! On one end of the spectrum, some financial coaches and advisors will say to borrow as much as you can for as little down as possible. On the opposite end of that spectrum, Dave Ramsey recommends only borrowing what you can get on a 15-year mortgage, and that the payment, taxes, and insurance don’t exceed 25% of your monthly take-home pay. Even better if you pay for the whole thing in cash!

For the most part, I lean toward Dave’s advice on this one. We have a goal of getting our house paid as fast as possible, hopefully in even less than 15 years (fingers crossed). Just think what you could do without a house payment! However, I do think you need to consider market conditions and interest rate trends.

Allow me to unpack that a little because there’s an important distinction to make.

Let’s say you can qualify for a 20-year loan, you have a 20% down payment, you have excellent visible cash-flow (your job field is ultra-stable) and interest rates are moving in an upward trend, I’d probably buy now rather than wait a year or two.

But, if you’re in debt up to your ears and you’re worried about getting priced out of the market in three or four years, I’d most definitely wait until the timing is better for YOU. You can’t predict what interest rates or the housing market will look like that far off, so don’t let fear of tomorrow cause you to get into a financial mess today.

Those are some good basic spending parameters, but there’s a little more to answering the question of how much to spend on a house.

Which is why I’m going to share with you the single wisest piece of advice I have ever received about home buying. I got this advice from a financial coach who has worked with Dave Ramsey AT Ramsey Solutions for years, so ya know it’s from the best of the best! Here’s what he said:

Think about the lifestyle you want to have, then make your budget with that in mind, and THEN see what kind of mortgage fits into your budget.

Pure wisdom.

How many people do you know who struggle to make their house payment, or wish they had bought a smaller home in exchange for the ability to give more, and do more? A house isn’t supposed to hold you back from doing the things you want to do with your life; the mortgage needs to acquiesce to your lifestyle, not the other way around.

The next thing to consider is adding a house maintenance fund to your budget, ‘cause the thing is, you don’t want to dip into that emergency fund unless it’s a REAL emergency. And for the most part, you should be anticipating regular maintenance needs. You will need a roof every 20 (or so) years. You will have to replace the water heater. Appliances will break down. So, make sure to budget at least a couple hundred bucks a month for maintenance, and keep in mind this is a very general amount; the amount you need is going to depend primarily on the size of the house and the materials it’s made of, so you’ll want to crunch some numbers and get a ballpark estimate.

Before we moved into our house, we altered our budget for four months to see what life would be like with the new mortgage payment and higher maintenance costs, and we put the extra money aside in savings for moving expenses and furniture. It gave us a realistic picture of what we could afford and gave us the confidence to feel comfortable with our decision. As important as it is to have the budget work out on paper, I definitely suggest taking a few months to live on your new estimated budget before committing to it. That way, you get to feel the numbers, which is totally different than seeing it hypothetically on a spreadsheet.

The home buying process can either be a blessing or a curse. If you wait until you’re financially prepared to buy and know what you can afford, it will be a blessing. Otherwise, you’re likely to end up trapped with a mortgage you can barely handle or making lifestyle sacrifices you regret. Get out of debt, build a robust emergency fund, save a 20% down payment, and budget realistically for home maintenance so that you can love your home, and your life.

A year ago, our family’s grocery bill skyrocketed. The twins started eating actual food, I was heading back to work part-time, and well, my little meal-planning system flew out the window! This was a big deal; after all, groceries are the costliest—not to mention, most necessary— consumable budget item. Yet even a $20 weekly budget increase is over $1000 in a year!

During this time of transition in our family dynamic, I tried a lot of things to get our grocery bill down: extreme couponing, making more from scratch, purchasing in bulk, using a very specific meal plan—you name it, I tried it! Eventually I gave in to the fact that I don’t have TIME to make from-scratch tomato sauce, and that my feeble attempts to stockpile resulted in more waste than savings.

I had to get realistic about our life, operate within an immediately attainable food budget, develop an overall shopping strategy, and find small ways to save over time.

My goal for this post is to share with you what works for us and give you some ways to adapt these strategies so that you too can find that happy place of significantly cutting costs AND living in reality.

Plan Smarter, Not Harder

I used to think that if I planned seven different dinners with seven nights of ingredients, the meticulous planning would save us money. The reality was that on at least one of those nights something would go awry, whether it was rough day with the kids, I was running behind schedule, or I was just too plain TIRED to cook anything more than scrambled eggs! And what was I going to do with half a jar of leftover olives from Moroccan stew night? I needed simplicity and flexibility.

I’ve found that by planning only five to six meals a week, with a leftovers night and a couple of raid-the-pantry nights each month, we actually use what we buy (novel concept, I know) and I’m not bound to a demanding cooking schedule. I still cook, and I follow a meal plan, but it’s NOT every night and it’s simple, like pressure-cooker teriyaki chicken bowls. Steam some broccoli and rice and you’re good to go.

Secondly, the content of the meal plan is central to cutting costs. Here’s what I do. To start, I browse two stores’ weekly ads, and plan meals based on the sales. I’ll take five minutes to look through the Sprouts’ store ad and print a shopping list (mostly produce because they have awesome sales in my area). Then I head to the King Soopers website and do the same thing.

Before we continue, a word on meat. Meat is the most expensive food category we buy regularly. Don’t get me wrong— we’re a meat-eating family and my husband would classify himself as a devout carnivore, but the numbers don’t lie. Meat is expensive. So I’m become more aware of selecting less expensive cuts of meat and stocking the freezer when it’s on sale.

Even better if you can get your family on board with eating vegetarian once a week: you can save $30 a month (or more, depending on the size of your family) from this small tweak in your dinner planning. Some of our vegetarian favorites are pressure-cooker risotto, pasta dishes, frittata, homemade veggie pizza, and bean-and-cheese burritos. Easy, cheap, (mostly) healthy, and yummy? Check.

I also maintain a stock of basic staples such as oatmeal, fruit, peanut butter, eggs, frozen blueberries (or “bluies” as the twins say), and frozen stir-fry vegetables. That way there’s always something to eat and never an excuse to get takeout because we’re “out of food.” Plus, my planning doesn’t need to be meticulous and perfectly executed to feed my family healthy meals. Another win for flexibility and convenience on the cheap!

Perhaps my favorite part of using the weekly store ad as my guide is the variety of foods we get to enjoy. Simple is NOT the same as boring! If it weren’t for skimming the weekly ads, I would miss out on dirt-cheap organic heirloom tomatoes, perfectly sweet watermelon, delicious hummus, and a lot more because I used to assume those foods were too expensive. It’s all about taking advantage of what’s on sale, and planning with simplicity in mind.

Coupon Less, Save More

Couponing and I have a love-hate relationship. Love the deals, hate the meticulous clipping. And once I realized that time IS money, I had to accept that I am not the world’s most efficient couponer and have no desire to make couponing a part-time job.

That’s why I’m ever-so grateful for the krazycouponlady.com! Heather and Joanie are couponing GENIUSES and they take all the guess work out of it.

All I do is skim their weekly roundup of my favorite stores to see where the best deals are. Best of all, so many coupons are digital or printable, so you can still get amazing deals without buying newspapers.

The rule I gave myself for couponing is that I don’t buy anything that isn’t already on the list. The thing is, I used to be lured by “great deals,” not understanding that this wasn’t helping me achieve my primary goal to save on the bottom line. So now if something has a coupon but isn’t on the list, I let it go. Paying zero is always costs less than a bargain, and there are ALWAYS more coupons for next time.

In addition to a quick skim for coupon deals, take a minute browse the Ibotta and Checkout-51 apps for rebates on everyday purchases. These are my favorites! It takes no time at all and the savings add up FAST.

Finally, when you’re assessing deals and comparing prices, it helps to think about the savings in terms of the percentage, not the dollar amount. For example, you may get an Ibotta rebate on bananas for 25 cents. It’s only 25 cents, but it’s also almost 50% savings on a pound of fruit.

Or what about buying store-brand compared to the name-brand? A box of store-brand crackers costs $2.19, compared to $2.79 for the name-brand. They’re both under $3, so it would be easy to grab the more familiar (and strategically shelved) fancy-pants cracker without a second thought. But, if I calculate the percentage difference, I save 22% buying the store-brand. Hey, why NOT save 22% for switching brands?

The point is, small change adds up quickly with grocery shopping. Focusing on shaving off the cost by percentage translates to big-time savings at the cash register.

Stock Up, But First…

There is nothing worse than getting back from a Costco trip only to realize you have to first clean out old stuff from the fridge to fit the new cartons and boxes of food (it’s embarrassing to admit; please tell me I’m not alone here!), or that you now have ten pounds of baby carrots to munch through.

On any given day, you’ve probably got a lot more food in the house than you think—I know I do! That’s why I started taking inventory of my fridge and pantry every couple of weeks and making a meal out of the odds and ends. We might not all eat the same thing that night, we might end up having banana pancakes for dinner (no complaints with that one), but we are certainly not letting all that food go to waste!

And whatever perishables aren’t consumed that evening get tossed out or incorporated into next week’s meal plan. We’re now wasting A LOT LESS food this way, which of course saves money, but it also feels good to be more conscientious. We’re not perfect by any means but are definitely getting better at this!

Stockpiling is popular in grocery-saving strategy, and I am all for it. But, it’s easy to fall into the trap of stockpiling WITHOUT purging the pantry every once in a while. Before you stockpile, carefully consider what you and your family will realistically be able to eat. Do what makes financial sense. Don’t buy a year’s worth of ground beef to put in the garage freezer if the freezer costs $300 a year in energy to run (true story). Figure out exactly what you’re saving when you buy in bulk versus buying as-needed. Some things are worth purchasing a lot of at once, but not if it goes to waste.

Saving tons of money on your grocery budget doesn’t have to complicated, involve meticulous meal-planning, or require a Ph.D. in couponing. It starts with small, simple changes in both mindset and practical steps. Coupon with intention, use the store ads, purge the pantry every now and then, eat a little less meat, and think in terms of percentages. You’ll be amazed at the savings you can achieve!

Proper understanding of market risk is essential to your success as an investor. And let’s face it: whether we just want to dip our toes in the dark, murky waters of investing or are ready to dive in headfirst, we are ALL investors.

We all make choices about where to put our money. Whether it’s investing in our education, a basic savings account, or in an S&P 500 Index fund, anywhere we place money with the expectation of receiving a greater future return is an investment.

Most investing fears center on the stock market (and the bond market, but more on that another time). One day the market’s up, the next day it’s down, and we’ve all heard stories of that neighbor or relative who lost everything “in the market.”

I opened the envelope and was faced with a choice. Do I accept the plan that’s written here or forge my own path?

This letter was my golden ticket. All I had to do was sign and return, and grad school tuition would be covered. Taking out federal student loans would allow me to focus on academics without having to worry about how to pay next semester’s tuition. Once I graduated, I would certainly get a raise or a higher paying job, anyway.

Right?

It sounded reasonable. Then I thought about the years after graduate school, when I would be paying back everything I had borrowed, plus interest. I would have to find a higher paying job, even if it meant moving or doing something I didn’t enjoy. Staying at home with my children or working part-time wouldn’t be an option. Extra earnings wouldn’t translate into upgraded vacations, a better house, or more to stash away for retirement. Instead, they would go toward paying off debt, possibly for the next TEN YEARS.

While earning a master’s degree presented the opportunity to increase my earning potential, expand my career options, and take me wherever my dreams led, student loans threatened to take it all right back.

No, if I was going to do this, it was going to be paid for. With cash. End of discussion. So with that determination in mind, I put away the student loan offer, took out a blank piece of paper, and began to devise a plan.

Cash-flowing grad school (or college) is a bit like making a cross-country drive. You need to know your numbers, pace the journey, and use a roadmap.

First, know your numbers. Don’t take shortcuts here by only counting the base tuition—you wouldn’t set out on a road trip without having a reasonable amount of money for gas, food, and other necessities, so be sure to include all those educational extras like books and library fees.

If you’re attending online, do you need to buy a computer? If you’re attending a brick and mortar school, must you purchase a parking pass? Also, assume an annual tuition increase— the average is 6%. Better to slightly overestimate your costs and be pleasantly surprised than to come up short when the bill is due.

Are you experiencing sticker shock? That isn’t a bad thing!

The thing about paying with cash is it allows you to accurately assess the value of the degree you’re seeking!

Take this time to seriously evaluate whether the program of your choice is going to result in a financial return on your investment and if it’s reasonable expense. If the tuition is extravagant and you know there is no possible way to pay for it without loans, I ever-so-kindly-yet-strongly encourage you to research other options for school.

A little-known fact: very few professional fields care where you got your degree. I could have chosen a $60,000 master’s degree. Instead, I paid $30,000 for a state school that was just as valuable to potential employers. I have absolutely no regrets.

Here’s another benefit of NOT having student loans that rarely gets discussed: I am certain that I would not have had the opportunity to discover a fulfilling career if my job-searching decisions had been motivated by financial desperation.

Kind of ironic, huh? Remember that higher education should help propel you FORWARD in your life, not just give you another line on your resume.

Second, pace the journey. This is where you list out the classes you are going to take every semester and decide when you will graduate. There are so many factors involved, and your plan doesn’t need to look like everyone else’s.

First, learn the tuition structure for your school. Some charge by the unit, no matter how many classes you take. Others will charge by the semester for full-time students. If your program charges by the semester, you’ll get the best deal by taking the maximum number of units for the price. For example, if you pay $12,000 for a range of 12 to 18 units, you will pay less per unit if you take 18.

That said, it may not be feasible for you to take the maximum number of units all the time, and that’s okay. It’s all about knowing your options, weighing the pros and cons, and making a well-informed decision. Haphazard planning is costly; smart planning pays off.

Your job’s flexibility, whether you have a family, the course structure (online only? Hybrid? Brick-and-mortar?) are only some of the factors that will affect the speed at which you complete your degree. Consider what’s doable for YOU.

Once you have a course schedule outlined, it’s time to calculate the amount required for each semester or quarter based on the school’s tuition structure and the number of classes you’re taking.

This is the most critical part of the process. Skipping this part is like driving through West Texas hoping you have enough gas in the tank to get you to the next town. I want you to write a list of tuition deadlines and how much you need to have saved by each of those dates, along with the classes that correspond. The stakes are too high for mental guesstimations here!

Say the target is $4,000 every August and January for the next three years, and it’s April now. That means you need to save $1000 a month to have $4000 by August and $800 a month between August and December.

If you look at the numbers and think no way is this possible, brainstorm ways to earn extra money in the summers, review your budget and see where you can cut expenses, and if the numbers just don’t make sense, then it may be necessary to revisit how many classes at a time you’re taking. This brings us to the last step.

Use a roadmap. If you’re serious about seeing that tuition money pile up, using a written budget is CRITICAL. I’d even go so far as to say this is non-negotiable. There’s no sense paying for school with cash and putting basic living expenses on a credit card or not having enough money set aside for an unexpected car repair.

If you don’t use a budget, I can almost guarantee that your efforts to pay for school will go to waste, because you will either end up using tuition money to cover emergencies, or finance your lifestyle at a 20% interest rate.

Ask yourself, what am I willing to do in order to save the money for school? Are you willing to stop eating out? Will you work 60 hours a week in the summer? Will you move to a cheaper apartment in an area of town that isn’t your first choice?

I won’t sugarcoat it: this isn’t an easy endeavor, it’s going to require grit, but it is ABSOLUTELY possible and WORTH every bit of effort. The reward of cash-flowing your education will far outweigh the short-term sacrifice and self-discipline. You don’t have to settle for student loans. You CAN graduate debt-free!

Hi there! I’m Lauren.

I'm a Dave Ramsey-trained financial coach, wife to Kyle, mom of twin girls, and a follower of Jesus. I believe that personal finance shouldn't be complicated or overwhelming, and that with a plan, you CAN achieve your financial goals.